Big Questions

This is the first talk in a series given by Os Guinness at Cambridge University. The starting point is Socrates' statement that: "The unexamined life is not worth living" – probably the most quoted saying in classical writing outside the Bible. This first talk starts off a journey, with "a time for questions", in which Os considers the need we have for meaning in our lives. He considers how people come to be seekers for meaning.

A few quotes from the talk:

"Freud and many Freudians ... say all belief is a matter of projection, wish-fulfilment and so on. People have needs and they believe. … He got the logic wrong. When people become seekers it's not that they believe – no, they're seeking but the logic is that they disbelieve what they used to believe because it no longer answers the questions that they now have."

"...every human being needs a sense of meaning and belonging."

"Isaiah Berlin said philosophers are just adults who've gone on asking the questions that children ask and haven't stopped."

"Are you leading an examined life? Are you at least caring and thinking enough to be a seeker after the truth and a way which will be adequate for you?"

Big Questions

Os Guinness

About the Author

Dr. Guinness is a
Christian writer, lecturer and social scientist. He is a co-founder and senior fellow at the Trinity
Forum, a non-profit organization devoted to leadership transformation
through the context of Christian faith, and is deeply interested in
guiding leaders and influencing public policy. His books include "Fit Bodies, Fat Minds", "The Call" and "The Gravedigger File".
View all resources by Os Guinness